Tape-winding apparatus



Dec. 27, 1966 w. SCHIEBELER ET AL 3,294,335

TAPE-WINDING APPARATUS Filed April 28, 1964 a Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig. 7

INVENTORS WER NR $HIEBELER PETER REA/M64 ATTORNEY Dec. 27, 1966 w,SCHIEBELER ET AL 3,294,335

TAPE-WINDING APPARATUS .3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 28, 1964 Fig 3INVENTORS R w 5 m HR /m 55 d MM 3 H E an R a n 7 ms w Y B Dec. 27, 1966w. SCHIEBELER ET AL TAPE-WINDING APPARATUS Filed April 26, 1964 I5Sheets-Sheet 3 Fig.5

INVENTORS WERNER SCHIEEELEIQ PETER RENNER ATTORNEY United States PatentOfifice 3,294,335 Patented Dec. 27, 1966 39 3 Claims. (Cl. 242-671) Thisinvention relates to tape-winding and, more particularly, to a method ofwinding tape in the configuration of a figure 8.

In the conventional manner, fiat elongated material such as punchedtape, wound in a roll in the configuration of a circle, may be unwoundonly from the outside. If the tape were unwound from the inside, a twistwould appear once per winding, condemning the unrolling to failure.

It is common practice to wind-up short lengths of perforated tapes, filmstrips, etc, in a figure 8 pattern over the thumb and forefinger.Because of the absence of a mechanical windup device, this method hasbeen restricted to primitive manual use only.

Accordingly, the principal object of this invention is to providemechanical means for winding up a flat elongated material, such aspunched tape, into a figure 8 pattern.

A further object of the invention is to provide a mechanism for windingof tape, wherein the tape will always be ready for evaluation obviatingany need for rewinding.

Another object of the invention is to provide a roll of tape in whichthe end of the tape lies still during windoff so that it may beconnected to the beginning of the next roll, for continuous evaluationof several tapes in succession.

The foregoing objects of the invention may be realized by making use ofthe principle that a point lying on the circumference of a rotatingcircle and moved orthoganal to the rotating plane of said circle willtake the shape of a helix, one helix described per rotation. The presentinvention is based on the consideration that this helix will complete adouble helix which is closed on itself and whose projection onto a planerepresents figure 8 pattern, when the circle undergoes a secondrotation, when moving the point toward whence it came.

Providing means to wind tape in accordance with the aforementionedprinciple will accomplish said objects. The above-mentioned and otherfeatures and objects of this invention will become more apparent byreference to the following description taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side view of one embodiment of the windup unit accordingto the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view of the device shown in FIGURE 1 taken alongthe line A-A of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view of the device shown in FIGURE 1 taken alongthe line B-B of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a side view of a double winding woundup with the deviceshown in FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of a storage container used to storedouble windings of the type produced by the invention in question.

Referring to FIGURE 1 of the drawings, a first embodiment of theinvention is shown. Generally the invention consists of a rotatingwinding-up body, which is displaced laterally in accordance with apredetermined standard, upon which a tape is fed, thereby causing thetape to be rolled onto the winding-up body in a figure 8 pattern. Indetail, there is arranged a winding-up body 8 in an axially displaceablemanner on its shaft 11, said shaft being driven by the driving means 6.A slot 17, shown in detail at the section taken on line A-A of FIGURE 2,cuts the cylinder to about three-quarters of its diameter, and extendstransversely in relation to its axis; thereby the winding-up body 8 issubdivided into a right-hand guide drum 8a and the actual winding-body8b, which is designed as a hollow cylinder. In the surface of theguide'drum 8a, designed as a cylinder, there is a groove 12 cut in theshape of a figure 8 thereabout. A stationary shuttle 7 is arranged toslide in this groove causing the wound-up body, on two of its rotations,to perform an axial to-and-fro movement. According to the section takenon line B-B of FIGURE 3, the shuttle 7 is designed so that it can passthe crossing or intersecting point of the groove 12 smoothly; i.e.without an unsteady change of direction. The winding body 8b is dividedby a slot 16 extending in the axial direction thereof, so that a doublewinding wound thereon may be easily pulled off when the cylinder ispressed together. To this end, the winding core $1) is traversed by ascrew 14; by tightening of the wing nut 13 thereof, it is possible toreduce the diameter of the core. Since in the present example ofembodiment the winding core is moved toand-fro, the tape guide 15 mustremain stationary. In order to guarantee a proper winding-up of thetape, the tape guide is arranged as close as possible to thecircumference of the double winding, and always in the same spacerelation thereto. This is accomplished by having the tape guide pulledclose to the double winding by the action of a spring. The distancebetween the tape guide and the double winding is kept constant by aroller running on the double winding, with the roller being rotatablyarranged on the same arm as the tape guide.

FIGURE 4 shows a side view of a double winding wound-up with the aid ofthis device. It is clearly recognizable that this double windingconsists of the two tape rolls 1 and 2, which at point 3, are placed ontop of each other in the form of crossing layers. The double winding hasthe shape of a folded figure 8. The inside end of the double windingmust be let out between the two windings; the tape may then be pulledoff from this inside end of the static double winding. Since the tape isalternately pulled off the roll 1 and the roll 2 with each time anopposite sense of winding, the twists annul each other, so that anuntwisted or twist-free tape is always available for evaluationpurposes.

FIGURE 5 ShOWs a container for a double winding. This box is providedwith two recesses 18 and 19 through which both the beginning and the endof the double winding are led out. After one winding has been pulled outcompletely, and when the tape of the next winding runs through the emptybox, the loosely mounted cover or lid may be removed, and the bottomportion of the box pulled away from underneath the passing tape. Thestorage container for the next winding may then be inserted in itsplace.

While we have described above the principles of our invention inconnection with specific apparatus, it is to be clearly understood thatthis description was made only by way of example and not as a limitationto the scope of the invention as set forth in the objects thereof and inthe accompanying claims.

We claim:

1. Apparatus for winding flat elongated material such as punched tapeinto a defined configuration comprising:

a winding body upon which said tape is to be rolled;

a cylinder grooved with the defined configuration pattern thereupon,said cylinder and said winding body being in the form of a singlecylinder subdivided by a slot extended normally in relation to its axis;

a stationary shuttle communicating with the groove of said cylindercausing said winding body to move in accordance with the groovedpattern;

means to guide said tape onto said winding body; and

driving means for said winding body.

2. Apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said configuration is in the form ofa figure 8 and said groove is cut into a pattern of figure 8 wound aboutsaid configuration defining cylinder, causing said winding body to movetoand-fro during its rotation thereby causing the tape wound thereuponto assume a figure 8 pattern.

3. Apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said winding body portion of saidcylinder is slit in its longitudinal direction and further includes ascrew and Wing nut arrangement for reducing the diameter of the windingbody for pulling off the winding wound thereupon.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS FRANK J. COHEN,Primary Examiner.

GEORGE F. MAUTZ, Examiner.

1. APPARATUS FOR WINDING FLAT ELONGATED MATERIAL SUCH AS PUNCHED TAPEINTO A DEFINED CONFIGURATION COMPRISING: A WINDING BODY UPON WHICH SAIDTAPE IS TO BE ROLLED; A CYLINDER GROOVED WITH THE DEFINED CONFIGURATIONPATTERN THEREUPON, SAID CYLINDER AND SAID WINDING BODY BEING IN THE FORMOF A SINGLE CYLINDER SUBDIVIDED BY A SLOT EXTENDED NORMALLY IN RELATIONTO ITS AXIS;